Cable thief electrocuted; commuters left stranded

Stealing cables along railway lines had major consequences for the suspected criminal and commuters recently.

This after the body of a man was discovered hanging from the overhead steel structure between New Canada and Crown Stations. Metrorail confirmed the man, suspected to be a cable thief, was electrocuted as the cables where he was found had been tampered with and bolt cutters were found on the ground.

The suspected thief’s actions caused massive delays affecting thousands of commuters travelling to Johannesburg from Midway, Kliptown, Orlando and even Randfontein.

According to Tembela Kulu, Gauteng Metrorail Provincial Manager, “We condemn in the strongest terms tendencies of thieves targeting our railway lines and stealing cables. Although the cost of the stolen cable is estimated at R100 000 the impact is much bigger. It affects the economy of the province because various businesses’ productivity suffer owing to thousands of workers being left stranded because trains are late.

“This also contributes negatively towards people losing jobs and shifting the blame to Metrorail. We call upon commuters and communities to work with us and law-enforcement authorities to report any suspicious people within our areas of operation so that these thieves can be caught,” Kulu added.

Metrorail warned communities of the dangers of breaking safety operating rules, trespassing and tampering with infrastructural components (signals, points machines, blocks, etc) including high-voltage cables as it could have fatal consequences not only for the perpetrator but also for the users of their service.

To report suspicious activities or people, call Metrorail’s Protection Services on 011 774 2853 or go to the nearest police station and report the matter as soon as possible.

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